DNB Asset Management AS Lowers Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

DNB Asset Management AS cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 14.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 85,512 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 13,966 shares during the quarter. DNB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $79,152,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,692,035,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 96,316.6% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,378,758 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,364,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377,328 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 43,356,271 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $42,920,107,000 after purchasing an additional 711,560 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.8% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,291,557 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $4,248,384,000 after purchasing an additional 383,887 shares during the period. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 15,055.5% in the 2nd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 320,994 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $317,722,000 after buying an additional 318,876 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on COST. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $890.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Raymond James Financial cut their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,070.00 to $1,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 12th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 12th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,033.00 to $926.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Hovde Group assumed coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $16.00 target price for the company. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,008.07.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $986.74 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $945.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $935.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $437.98 billion, a PE ratio of 52.85, a P/E/G ratio of 5.24 and a beta of 1.01. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1 year low of $844.06 and a 1 year high of $1,067.08.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 29.35% and a net margin of 2.96%.The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.04 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target to $1,000 (from $990), citing modest same‑store sales and an earnings beat — a near‑term vote of confidence from an influential sell‑side shop. Citi Raises Costco (COST) Price Target to $1,000 from $990
• Positive Sentiment: Supreme Court action on IEEPA tariffs and FedEx’s statement that it will return any tariff refunds reduces a key cost/uncertainty risk for import‑reliant retailers like Costco. That legal resolution is supportive for margins and inventory planning. FedEx says it will return to customers any refunds it gets back from Trump’s illegal tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: municipal/state approvals for new Costco locations in Lawrence and Southborough signal continued store growth and membership acquisition opportunities in those markets. (Supports long‑term revenue footprint.) A new Costco will be built in Lawrence — the city’s first. Here’s what to know Costco proposal in Southborough earns state approval. What’s next
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and retail‑sector commentary (Zacks, TipRanks, The Motley Fool) highlights Costco as a defensive/quality retail play with a recent valuation reset that some view as a buying opportunity — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. Costco and 3 More Discount Retail Stocks Investors Should Watch Now Costco Stock (COST) Is Still a Great Buy after Valuation Reset
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational/consumer items (new food‑court menu, expanded brand assortment) support traffic and membership retention but are incremental rather than market moving. Costco launches new food court treat to rival McDonalds
• Negative Sentiment: Macro and tariff risks remain a concern per deeper analyses that argue external policy or import disruptions could still pressure margins or force SKU changes — a watch item for investors despite the recent court ruling. Costco: Macro/Tariff Risks Persist – Further Consolidation Likely
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: two class‑action suits over the $4.99 rotisserie chicken could create reputational noise and small legal costs; unlikely to be material to long‑term earnings but a near‑term headline risk. Costco’s $4.99 Rotisserie Chicken Is Facing 2 Class-Action Lawsuits

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Javier Polit sold 558 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $862.89, for a total transaction of $481,492.62. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 10,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,792,849.10. This represents a 5.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP James C. Klauer sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $939.00, for a total value of $1,408,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 44,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,101,943. This trade represents a 3.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,915 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,097. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.